Sunday, March 27, 2005

Death

I'm watching a documentary filmed at my hospital a few months ago. I've written about it a few times in the past. I've critizized it for being a bit melodramatic and ignoring anesthesiology. That's all okay. Today the showed someone who almost got a liver transplant twice and had it unable to be done for various reasons. Then they showed him dying after having life support withdrawn at somepoint after that. I think they did a great job actually showing that not everything turns out well in the hospital. Not the usual perfect outcome that's usually portrayed. Even though I've seen death in the hospital before it still hits you. Rest in peace.

4 comments:

harmonic mean
said...

What is it like when a new doctor has a patient die in his/her hands for the first time? Do they get de-sensitized to deaths after a while?

I was talking with one of my friends who is an M1 here about the cadavers they work on for months and months. What an awful way to go...to get picked and pulled apart by green doctors-to-be and then cremated. The strangest part of it all is the side effect of the chemicals used to preserve the bodies...apparently, the smell makes you hungry. How sick and twisted is that?

Actually, I kind of wish I had that sort of excitement in my studies. I just torment undergrads with statistics.

I don't think you get desensitized. If you see enough death you might want to see if you're doing something wrong. :) Anyway... the donation of your body to science is the ultimate gift you can give to future generations of doctors. It's not the prettiest finish to life, but it's one of the most noble. (The smell never made me hungry)

Names and identifying characteristics of patients and all involved have been removed to protect the innocent.
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